Candy Cane
by Capricornus152
Summary: A Christmasbased story that takes place after Chosen. Buffy's alone for Christmas...XanderBuffy pairing along with hints of SpikeFred


Candy Cane

Summary: Buffy is alone for Christmas, then Xander shows up...

Disclaimer: Nothing belongs to me...shame...

7-7-7

Rome, Italy:

December 22, 2005 - 5:30pm:

Buffy Anne Summers sat miserably in her Roman apartment. She sipped her hot cup of cammomile tea and sighed. Her first Christmas completely alone. She always had Dawn with her, but this year she was in Oxford University.

The apartment was poorly furnished. Buffy herself felt a little depressed. Willow and Kennedy in South America had called her, explaining their absence. Giles wrote to her with the same emotional genre of apology.

Then all of a sudden, there was a big knock at the door and Buffy leapt up instinctively. She crossed to the door and looked through the peephole.

She practically ripped the door off its hinges when she saw him. Xander, standing in front of her with three suitcases, wearing a checked shirt and cargo pants.

"Hey, Buff." He said and grinned She grabbed him in a bear hug and doesn't let go. "You're back from Africa."

"Can't breathe, Buffy." He whispered and she let go.

She led him in and carried his suitcases effortlessly.

"I've got a spare room I always keep ready, so stay here."

"Thanks, Buffy. Kinda bare on the Christmas decorations though."

Buffy blushed deeply. "Not much point. I thought I was having a one-woman Christmas."

"Good thing I brought these." He held up a massive bag and pulled out a three metre of coloured Christmas lights.

7-7-7

An hour later Buffy watched as Xander fit the last piece of tinsel onto the light fixture.

"Thanks, Xand."

"Height has its advantages."

"Just because I'm sexily _petite_, doesn't mean I can't kiss your ass from here to Rome...ania. Romania." Buffy bantered with him. The flat looked gorgeous now with colours everywhere and Buffy got him a cup of tea.

They sat there in comfortable silence, only speaking when necessary.

"Are the shops still open til Christmas?"

"Yeah, I haven't been recently because I've done mine already."

"Well, I'm still gift less, so..let's go shopping with..." Xander held up a shiny card "the Watcher's Council Platinum Card." Buffy's green eyes lit up with excitement and they started talking like things were back to normal.

7-7-7

December 23, 2005 - 8:45am:

That morning while Xander made a pot of coffee and his special chocolate chip pancakes, Dawn's disembodied head appeared in Buffy's bedroom.

"Hey, Dawn." Buffy said, without skipping a beat. The spell allowed Buffy and Dawn to communicate face-to-face or Buffy-to-Dawn's-head.

"What's happening, sis?" Dawn asked.

"Xander's here."

"Oh?" The tone of Dawn's voice said it all.

"He arrived here, I gave him a place to stay. Don't use that tone of voice with me young lady."

"Fine...excuse me then why are you dressed like that?"

"I put on the first thing that came out of my wardrobe." Dawn disappeared with a smirk on her face and Buffy looked at herself in the mirror. Blue jeans embroidered with a red-pink rose on each leg, trailing up until mid-thigh. They clung to her curves and looked even better against the crimson, long-sleeved pagan top she knew looked stunning on her. She wore a white camisole top underneath. Why was she getting all dressed up? It was only Xander.

She teased her golden hair into gentle curls and went to breakfast where a heavenly smell met her.

"God that smells good!" Buffy sat herself on the stool that served as a chair at the breakfast bar. She helped herself to the hot coffee and made them both a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice.

Two minutes later, Xander sat down an enormous stack of hot chocolate chip pancakes. He put them in the centre along with two small pastel blue plates from her cupboard and then with a squeeze bottle of maple syrup.

"I think I'm gonna die happy with the amount of food I've eaten." Buffy said, wiping her mouth with a napkin. One remaining pancake sat alone.

Xander held the plate under Buffy's nose temptingly. "Go on, last one."

"I can't."

Xander deftly snatched the bottle of syrup and drew a sad face on the pancake.

"Buffy, it's sad. It wants to be with its friends who are currently in your stomach region." Even though it was a pancake, the guilt ate away at Buffy and she took it and ate it.

"Right, let's go shopping." Xander said, grinning.

7-7-7

The two of them sat in the food court of a mall. They weren't that hungry, they just needed somewhere to rest their feet for five to twenty minutes. Around their feet were dozens of bags in every shape, size, colour and type of shop.

"I think you've bought everything in the shop, Xand." Buffy joked, drinking her Diet Coke.

"Nearly. Still got to get your Christmas present."

"Any ideas?"

"Got one."

Buffy groaned when he refused to tell her more and when Xander went off to get her gift, Buffy decided to call Dawn. This was so embarrassing; calling her sister on the 'Xander Situation'. When did Xander become a situation anyway?

"Told you so." Dawn said smugly. "Look, just relax and let things go of their own accord. Gotta go, got a Symbology Class."

Dawn hung off and Buffy put the receiver down. A hand touched her shoulder and Buffy turned.

"Ready?" Xander said, clutching his gift in a nondescript white plastic bag for secrecy purposes.

In the taxi on the way back to her apartment, Buffy leaned against Xander and let her head lean against his chest. She smiled softly, listening to the rhythm of his heart. For once, she falling for someone with one beating.

7-7-7

December 24, 2005 - 12:15pm:

The two of them sat in front of a hovering sky blue flame. Buffy handed Xander a gift wrapped parcel.

"What's the address?"

"56 Marento Grove, Quito, Ecuador."

Both Xander and Buffy's presents for Willow and Kennedy were placed inside the fire. They remained perfect and Xander recited the address. They disappeared. It was a transportation spell that Willow had taught Xander when they lived together for two months in New York, before Xander moved to Africa.

There was a mystical POP and two presents dropped to the floor. These went under the brand new tree whose top brushed the top of the apartment roof.

"That's the last of them, what's on the agenda?"

"Eating stuff high in sugar and fat, listening to _Silent Night_ until it bugs the crap out of me and watching bad TV."

"That could be interpreted as eating sweet candy canes and enjoying classic Christmas music and...misunderstood, underated films and programming."

Buffy smiled and passed Xander a cupcake.

"Well, I am going to try and get a Roman Christmas tonight." Xander stood up and put his jacket on.

"Where you going?"

"Midnight mass."

"Oh God, not religion."

7-7-7

The church was packed but Buffy and Xander got a seat at the back. The sky looked ready to burst forth with snowy goodness, according to the weather forecasts.

The soft candlelight, the cold, crisp night air and the clear blanket of stars above them, the smell of some exotic spice and chocolate. They seemed like home to Buffy. She had never been religious in her life, but even Slayers had moments of - admittedly rare and short and fleeting - epiphany.

The two of them walked out of the church. The snow was falling steadily and children leaving the service were having a snowfight.

A stray snowball struck the side of Xander's arm and he scooped up a handful of snow and aimed for the kid.

"Xander, this is really immature..." Xander threw the ball and Buffy screamed as it got her in the face. Xander sensed imminant danger and started running around the area outside the church. He was no match for a pissed-off Slayer and she tackled him gently to the snowy ground, shoving a fistful of snow in his face while straddling him.

The closeness and intensity of their...well, position was making Buffy's head spin. Back in high school, Xander was the one who had a crush on Buffy. It was as if the world had flipped its coin. She half expected cops to be chased by robbers and the grass to be blue and the sky to be pink and bright gold and bright green clouds.

7-7-7

December 25, 2005 - 7:20am:

Buffy woke early and in a moment of insanity checked the colour of the sky. Pale blue. Not pink and gold and the clouds were white.

She saw a pile of presents at the end of her bed and she squealed in almost childlike delight. She opened the first present from Giles. It was a book on Slayers and techniques. The next was from Clem. He sent her it from his new place in Miami where the sun was doing wonders for his skin. It was a silver plated hexagonal box the size of a tennis ball which apparently could hold any object of any size. The little written tag named it, a Box of Naxlar. Buffy demonstrated this by putting her desk inside with no trouble.

"Handy." She stated and attacked the next present's wrappings. It was from all the Slayerettes all over the globe, collected by Amanda and Rona who were stationed in Shanghai in the moment. It was a brand new sword.

Willow gave her an Amulet of the Four Elements, a protective amulet with a sapphire, an emerald, a ruby and a piece of gold in a black circle made of alabaster. In the centre was a diamond and on the back was a Chinese symbol for each element. Buffy slipped it on immediately and a small blue-tinted forcefield appeared around her momentarily before dispersing.

Spike and Fred sent her a brand new DVD player with horror classics. That seemed so weird. _Spike and Fred_. Spike had settled down with a physicist who Willow described as "kind and smart and sweet". Buffy had said she was Angel's Willow and the redhead had replied over the phone, "But a brunette and science-mad instead of magic-mad and Texan and not-Jewish." Spike seemed so happy.

Angel and she weren't talking, ever since he agreed to become the CEO of Hell Inc.

The biggest one was Dawn's. It wasn't one gift, it was a dozen. There was a DVD she wanted and a book, _Just Like Heaven_ by Marc Levy and a brand new tank top along with new jeans. There were two CDs and bits and bobs, along with a note that said "Don't let Xander get away. Love, Dawn."

Buffy padded into the lounge where Xander was tending under the tree. She wore the new tank instead of her pajama top.

"Merry Christmas, Buffster." Xander said, hugging her tightly before grabbing his present to Buffy.

Buffy gave hers first. It was a handmade bracelet made of wool and beads and in carefully placed beads were the words 'To Xander, Love Buffy.'

He kissed her cheek in delight and handed hers over. She unwrapped it to see a photo album. On it were the words;

'Scoobies of Sunnydale'.

When she opened it, she saw it full of pages of photographs with captions and even movie tickets and class notes. They were of Xander and Buffy and mostly with Willow and Dawn and Joyce and Tara and Spike and Oz and sometimes Giles and occasionally Cordelia and Potential Slayers. However, the back page was filled entirely with writing however;

'Dearest Buffy,

If you're reading this we survived. You have no idea how much I love you. Ever since I tripped over my skateboard to this moment right here when you're reading this, I have loved you with all my heart.

I'm bad with words, even written words, so I'll finish it.

With love,

Your Xander

Buffy felt her eyes start to water. "No need to cry, it's not that bad."

"It's...it's..." Buffy couldn't finish it and she kissed him. On the lips.

And Buffy moaned into his mouth when he responded, holding her against him strongly. She tasted the sweetness of the candy canes and the spiciness like cinnamon.

When they broke apart for breath, Buffy couldn't remember being any happier. She felt safe and warm in Xander's strong arms.

"Merry Christmas, Buffy."

"Merry Christmas, Xander."

_Fin_

_This is a late Christmas fic because I got struck with inspiration early this Boxing Day morning._


End file.
